The New King
by Azlan0861
Summary: With the Vampire menace vanquished, Skyrim almost finds itself in an era of peace. It isn't long before the civil war the plagued the country pokes its' ugly head out once more. With more and more threats arising, will the Dragonborn prevail and save Skyrim once again?
1. New Start

**Notice: This is a continuation to the story "Something To Fight For" my first story. If you know the Skyrim/Dawngaurd story than don't worry, it should be fairly easy to follow along the story. Read on.**

Whiterun has fallen

Those were the words he had told her anyways. The days were growing cold as the orange leaves began changing, meaning the nights would come sooner. Hunting would soon be scarce and the woods surrounding Falkreath would soon to be invaded by hunters hoping to obtain meats and furs for the coming winter. Deliveries of mead were shipped across Skyrim as its' contents became ever more popular in the coming winter. It all seemed almost unnoticeable from inside the manor, most of which was just conversation brought in from Lydia as she spoke to her thane.

Serana sat in the library, staring at the pages of a book she knew nothing about, lost in thought. Just the thought of Lydia brought annoyance to her, but even her company would be better than this. It had been weeks since Lydia left with him to Solitude. She was promised it would only be a few days, that's what every letter she'd received from him up to this point had said anyways. She looked up, sighing as she looked out the snow covered window to see it was only late afternoon. Serana glanced down as she heard a small exhale to see Gnaw roll onto it's back as he stretched before settling into a comfortable position. Serana stared down at him for a moment before tearing her gaze away and standing, trying not to think about the one she truly missed.

Serana stretched her arms up for a moment, her hood falling over her head as she did. She walked out of the room and into the main hall where she ascended the steps to her room which was built in for her between him and Lydia's separate bedrooms. It broke off from the others in which it was made from a darker red wood as well as a decorated alchemy lab with ingredients covering most of the space on every shelf and table. She never had cleaned it after the first day as it always had reminded her of her mother, especially since most of it was brought from her laboratory. As Serana began gathering ingredients for another experiment, her thoughts went back to the past months. The days he would unexpectedly drop an endless assortment of ingredients in her room, the way he never tired of her company, the nights they would...Serana glanced down at her hands and noticed she had cut herself on one of the thistles. As she sighed, turning to grab a cloth, she wondered what he was doing at this exact moment.

 _Solitude Forest_

"It's really not your faults, it's just...you caught me in a bad mood" Arthius said as he yanked his Daedric sword from the corpse of a bandit, taking in a deep breath as he felt his cuts heal from the enchanted weapon. The shadow that covered his body disappeared as the last enemy was slain, revealing his face as well as the black and blue armor that now covered him. He stood from his kneeling position, sighing and watching his breath in the cold winter night, the moonlight barely peering through the woods. The shadow nearby giggled as Arthius turned to him, pushing himself from the tree he was just leaning against.

"All done, Listener?" He giggled once more before clapping his hands in excitement. Arthius smiled as he put his sword away as he walked towards the figure, still unable to resist that contagious giggle.

"Yes, now back to our conversation we were having"Arthius said.

"Oooh, of course my dear Listener, what would you ever have of poor old Cicero?" Cicero replied, slightly bowing as he did. Arthius contained his chuckle towards the homicidal jester.

"Now, what were you doing in Solitude?" Arthius asked as he crossed his arms, getting a bit more serious. Cicero smiled a bit wider putting his hand up to his mouth as if to conceal another giggle, although it had never stopped him before. Arthius kept his cold stare on Cicero for a few more moments before Cicero's wide grin went down to a small smile.

"Well, if you must know-"

"I must" Arthius quickly responded.

"Well then Lissssstener, if you must know then let me graciously explain. You see, with all the fun that's been going on with Whiterun and what not, more and more people want more and more other people to go away and Cicero is so ever happy to do it" Cicero giggled as he played with his dagger that he pulled out without Arthius' knowledge.

"Why haven't I heard about this?" Arthius said as he crossed his arms.

"All contracts go through me first, that's how it's always been"

"Oh oh ooooh, Listener. Our poor poor mother has tried again and again and again to contact you, but with all that you're doing, you barely have time for us anymore, and dear Cicero gets lonely. So our wonderful Night mother came up with the splendid idea that we carry contracts without you seeing them first, everybody wins!" Cicero squealed, doing a little dance as he did.

"The night mother only speaks to me, Cicero" Arthius said. Cicero paused for a moment before looking up at him with his smile frozen on his face.

"Cicero can feel it, she can't tell Cicero but Cicero can feel what our lady is feeling...what she's thinking" Cicero smiled.

"If you don't believe oh so faithful Cicero, why not ask the night mother yourself? Until then my dear Listener, Cicero's blade cries out, begs for more as the night mother demands it. Farewell" Cicero said with a giggle before bouncing into the darkness.

Arthius watched the jester disappear into the woods, unsure of what his intentions truly were. Cicero's loyalty to the night mother was unquestionable, but his loyalty to the listener has always been on unsturdy grounds to him. He pondered the result of the night mother turning her back on him many times before, but it seems it may be happening after all. Arthius sighed at the thought of Cicero choosing between them, although he had a good idea of who he would end up siding with. After a few more moments, Arthius turned and began his walk back to Solitude, not bothering to summon Arvak.

 _Proudspire Manor, Solitude_

"Well...I'm not making a move without the Harbinger's consent" Vilkas spoke, crossing his arms with authority. He sat at the dining table along with Farkas, Aela,Agmaer, Lydia, and Jordis.

"We're not suggesting such a thing, we're simply stating the obvious. We need to aid the empire, Whiterun is in shambles and we can't just let Ulfric keep control." Lydia spoke.

"The companions have not sided in the war and we don't plan to do so, that's how it's been and that's how it's going to stay" Aela spoke.

"So what, you plan to just let your hall go to waste, or be pilfered by that tyrant?"

"Oh, don't worry, we'll be taking back our home no matter who's in control. What we're saying is that we won't be doing it for anyone else besides the Companions. That said, we're not making any moves until we receive the approval from the Harbinger" Farkas said.

"I agree, although the condition of Whiterun is of great concern, we need someone Ulfric might listen to, and the heroic legend of the nordic lands is probably one of them" Agmaer said. A hush fell over the room as the doors of the manor were opened with the following of footsteps. Jordis sprang from her seat and rushed to the front of the manor to properly greet her thane.

"G-greetings my thane, how are you? May I get you something? We- I forgot to gather supplies but I can run down to the market, or perhaps there's something from the tavern I can-" Jordis was cut off as Arthius walked by, patting her on the top of her head as he did. She watched him pass by for a moment before sighing and sitting down in a nearby chair. Arthius walked into the dining room, wiping his face as he did before looking up at the group staring at him. Arthius sighed as he put down his shield and pulled out a chair.

"Good, you've returned from your walk, now we can discuss-" Lydia began.

"Hey, Arthius, Vilkas and I were about to head down to the Winking Skeever, you feel like tagging along?" Farkas spoke up.

"Yes, that sounds pretty good right now" Arthius said before pushing himself up out of his seat.

"But- Arthius, we still need to-" Lydia began once more.

"Be sure to watch after the manor while we're gone Lydia" Arthius called back as he and the twins walked towards the door.

"But- my Thane-" Lydia began again.

"Jordis" Arthius called. Jordis' head shot up at this, quickly standing up at attention.

"Yes my thane, whatever duty you bestow on me, I will follow through without any-"

"Would you like to join us?" Arthius said as he opened the door, the twins walking through. Jordis paused for a moment, blinking at her Thane before slowly nodding.

"If...that's what you wish. I'll follow your lead" Jordis said as she hesitantly grabbed her shield.

"Great to hear. Agmaer, if anything comes up don't hesitate to send word" Arthius called out with a more serious tone. Agmaer chuckled as he slowly rose from his seat.

"I don't remember having to take orders from you Arthius, last I remember we both lead the attack on Castle Volkihar" Agmaer spoke as he turned the corner to see Arthius off.

"Last I remember you had to be spoon fed for a week afterwards by Torvar" Arthius said, barely able to finish his words as they both broke into laughter. Agmaer wiped his brow as he laughed, moaning at the dreaded memories of the drunk bastard spilling hot soup so many times.

"I-I'm pretty sure you had more bandages leaving than when you arrived at Jorrvaskr" Arthius said. Causing Agmaer curse loudly as he held his side. After a few moments and more than a few shots of annoyed glances from both Lydia and Aela, the two finished.

"If anything comes up, you'll be the first to know" Agmaer said. Arthius nodded with a smile before turning to the waiting Jordis outside, closing the manor doors behind him. After a few moments, Lydia sighed before walking back up to the dining area where Aela remained.

"I can't believe him, Whiterun, the place where we had our beginnings has fallen and he acts like...that" Lydia said. Aela shot her a glance before slowly rising to her feet.

"Explain to me how that's out of character of him" Aela spoke.

"Fair enough"

"Either way, think of our Harbinger how you may, but even you understand that hes capable of more than any man we know of" Aela spoke. Lydia turned to glance at Aela for a moment.

"And what do you mean by "Even you""? Lydia questioned.

"Nothing but the rambling of a hunter outside of the woods. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire to my quarters. Wake me if something arises" Aela spoke as she turned, stretching as she descended the stairs leading to the lower level where a few beds were set for the circle.

 _Winking Skeever, Solitude_

It was quieter in the tavern than usual, although it isn't much of a statement. Lisette's soothing voice played throughout the room, voices coming from the various groups scattered in the building picked up any silence that may have taken it's space as Corpulus wiped down the bar, chuckling to himself over any joke or conversation he overheard among the crowd. Arthius and the twins sat around a small table not far from the bar, Jordis was absent from her Thane's side as she sat amongst others at the bar.

"That's three mugs...and you're still on your first" Farkas smiled before taking another drink. Arthius chuckled as he stared into the liquid inside of his mug, hesitating before taking a small sip and then placing it on the table.

"When did you go soft on us brother?" Vilkas grinned as he sat in his chair, arms crossed.

"Around the same time Aela had you fixed, Vilkas" Arthius spoke, looking up at Vilkas with a smug look. Farkas coughed a laugh into his mug, spilling some of its' contents onto the floor. Vilkas chuckled, wiping his brow of the mead that had splashed onto him. After a moment, Vilkas turned at the sound of a small cheer to see Jordis slam a mug onto the countertop and cheering victoriously as Hadvar sitting next to her coughed up his mead as a crowd of some companions surrounded them. After receiving praise from some of the other patrons, Jordis turned to see the three men staring at her. She paused for a moment before respectfully nodding to Arthius and turning away. VIlkas sighed as he turned back around to the other two, throwing a glance to Arthius.

"So, Arthius, what's her story? She slow or something?" Vilkas asked as he reached for his mug.

"Not sure myself really. She's gained quite the reputation for herself at a young age, earning much respect from the higher ups, officers and other figures of rank. Maybe she's not used to serving someone with so much respect, maybe it's the fact that she's representing Solitude-"

"Or that she gets to be so close to the almighty hero of legend" Farkas cut in with a grin. The three laughed at this, getting a glance from Jordis as she wondered what was said.

"If you ask me, Arthius, you need to give her your oh so great appraisal. The leader treatment like you did with Lydia and Aela" Farkas said as he took another sip from his mug.

"Hm, sorry to disappoint but nothing happened between Lydia and I. And I don't have any interest in changing that for the young one either" Arthius spoke. Farkas and Vilkas glanced at eachother for a moment before Vilkas made a playful biting motion, causing Farkas to burst out laughing. Arthius sighed before reaching down and grabbing his mug, quickly drinking its contents before setting it down again.

"So then...what happened at Whiterun?" Arthius asked. Farkas and Vilkas finished with their chuckles before looking at Arthius with serious expressions.

"Well, we're a bit unsure of that ourselves" Vilkas said. Farkas crossed his arms, settling back into his seat

"It was morning, nothing worth mentioning had happened. Few moments later the city's under attack, no warning, no signal, nothing. Just the sky raining fire from the catapults" Farkas spoke.

"An army can't just appear out of nowhere, Whiterun is the center of Skyrim, that many troops can't move without being noticed" Arthius spoke.

"Well tell that to the guards. Anyway, the companions stayed out of the combat, no need to involve ourselves now, regardless of the circumstance. After it was all said and done, the city was crawling with Stormcloaks. Most treated us well, Ysgramor legend and all that mixed well with Ulfric's ideals, he even gave us a visit"

"That's nice of him" Arthius said in a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah no kidding? It was all good for a day or two, no reason to raise alarm, we knew it was a possibility. That's until we were told that if we were to stay within their walls, we would be part of whatever Ulfric was leading. Now, if it were simply like that, we would have simply left...but…" Farkas said, sighing as he said his last word.

"That would mean leaving the hall" Arthius said. Farkas nodded before reaching down and grabbing his mug once more.

"We had no trouble deciding to leave Ulfric's cause, that's not what kept us from leaving for so long, brother" Vilkas said .

"It was being forced to leave the hall, leave the forge...leave our home"

Arthius nodded at Vilkas before leaning back and staring up at the ceiling.

"Kodlak probably would have said that you were fools to endanger yourselves, staying within the walls of a man who wishes to drag you into war because of the fear of leaving a pile of wood and a pit of fire, but I understand. I hold nothing against all of you for having trouble leaving it all behind. I know how it must have felt" Arthius spoke. The three sat in silence for a few moments before Farkas spoke up.

"Whatever decision you make, brother,know that we have your back" Farkas said with a not. Vilkas followed his brother , nodding at Arthius.

"Thank you" Arthius said with smile to the twins. After a few more moments, Farkas leaned back, bringing the mug to his lips with a small smile.

"Speaking of home, how is the little bloodsucker?"

 _Dragonsreach, Whiterun_

"What is our next move my king?" Galmar spoke. Ulfric sat in the throne, a goblet resting in his hand as he overlooked the hall.

"The men are in no rush, we should follow their hearts. We have nothing to worry of anyway if the empire tries to take this city back" Ulfric spoke. Galmer nodded before rising from his knee and excusing himself and leaving Ulfric to attend to his duties. As Ulfric sipped from his Goblet, he grinned as something came across his mind.

" _Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you Dragonborn. You'll meet your fate soon enough, soon, soon my champion will be ready, and nothing will stand in his way…"_

 **And that is the end to the first chapter. I probably will be anything but consistent uploading these chapters but hey, if you followed my last story you're aware of that, and I hope to see old friends as well as some new ones. Hope you enjoyed. If you want more, nothing pushes me like a good review. And if you liked it enough to Follow or even Favorite, it'd mean the world to me. Thanks.**


	2. Motives

Serana walked along the Falkreath road, the slight bit of snow crunching beneath her feet as she did. She kept her hood over herself as she walked, eyeing the guards that made their patrols. As she made her way towards the exit of the town. She had visited Falion whom Arthius had convinced to move to Falkreath to be closer to them, a sort of special caretaker of sorts for Serana. As she walked up the path towards the manor, she chuckled at the bandit construction that looked over the path. Behind her, she saw the boulders that rolled into a tree and then back up at the wooden construct. She chuckled as she envisioned him side stepping them as they tumbled towards him and taking out his bow. He would quickly take one or two of them out with a quick shot and then race around and up the steps with his sword drawn to finish the rest off. As she lost herself in thought, she caught a gleam of light and noticed an elven arrow sticking out the side of the construct. She walked around and up the rickety piece of wood, plucking the arrow free and holding it in her hand. She smiled down at it, feeling the metal and remembering when Arthius had it enchanted to defeat her father. A slight breeze swept by as she gazed at it, bringing her back to reality. She sighed as she put the arrow away before looking up at the view. She had yet to read the new letter that he had sent, she had no reason to look forward to reading how it would be even longer before he would return to her. She turned to the path once more and continued up to the manor, knowing it would prove useless to resist opening it in the long run.

Arthius looked across the other side of the encampment as he held his bow in hand, aiming it at the guard standing in the watchtower. Karliah gave a quick nod to him before releasing her arrow, sending it flying into the back of the guard on the other tower. Arthius' arrow found its target immediately after Karliah's, sending the guard back before collapsing. They moved quickly around the wall and unlocked the gate just a second after putting the lock pick inside. They then moved with the shadows, slowly approaching each tent of the sleeping occupants and quickly silencing their breaths within, whether they were asleep or not. They quickly moved through tent after tent, making their way to the small shack at the end of the encampment where their goal was lying. They met each other's glances as they crouched in front of the two doors to the small building. Synchronized, they quickly peeked through the windows on each door before ducking back down. They swiftly restrung their bows before standing and briefly aiming before shooting through the glass at their targets, shooting them before they had a chance to react, before once again ducking back down. They kept quiet for a moment, staring at each other as they waited for any signs of activity. As Arthius was about to speak, a creak of the floor came from within the shack. The doors burst open as the large Redguard readied his battle axe, looking to eliminate whoever had killed his comrades, only to find nothing outside the doors. He was confused for a moment, gazing upon the snowy camp.

"Hey!", he shouted across the campsite.

He searched for any movement among the tents. His breath paused, making him shudder at the sight of the puddles of blood forming outside the tents. He slowly turned back around, hoping to barricade himself inside the shack until morning. When he turned around, he found himself staring into the face of a shadowed figure crouching atop the shack in the darkness, with an arrow pointed directly at his face. The Redguard quickly raised his arm, hoping to block in some way or at least take the arrow in his arm. As he did, from behind he heard a brief crunch of the icy ground before he felt two objects pierce into his sides. His arms shot out in pain, but before he could scream the arrow was released and sent in-between his eyes, killing him instantly. The large man staggered for a moment before slowly falling back and sinking into the snow. Karliah leapt off the roof of the small shack as Arthius rose to his feet, the effects of his armor fading to reveal himself from the shadows. The two of them then made their way into the small shack. Beside the two lying on the ground, the shack was empty beside a chair and a rug. There was a groan from one of the men on the ground, disturbing the new found peace. Karliah nodded to Arthius as she inspected the rug. Arthius swiftly knelt down, quickly slicing the man's throat open before rising once more as Karliah lifted the rug from it's spot on the ground revealing a wooden entry way. Karliah opened it, looking down the hole at the small ladder leading into the makeshift cellar. Arthius joined her gaze as he stood behind her for a moment before she quickly turned and went down the ladder, with Arthius quickly following. After closing the opening above him, they were left in the dark for a moment before the bright glowing ball rose from Arthius' hand, lighting up the small corridor to the door on the other side. They silently stepped forward, swiftly but quietly to the door, pressing against it for a moment before pushing it open and glancing around. It was a small room, dimly lit with a chest in the center. The musk of the damp room hit Arthius sharply, almost making him gasp for breath behind the mask. As if reading his mind, Karliah swiftly stepped forward and opened the chest, snatching the document that was inside before quickly turning and stepping towards the door. Arthius quickly followed; glancing back at the simple chest that had held what they were here for, before turning back towards the open doorway and through the corridor and up the ladder after her. They made their way through the now silent camp and into the night, leaving nothing but their arrows and blade marks behind as proof of their existence that night.

After the short ride back to Riften, they made their way through the streets until they were able to slip into the Ratway and eventually the Ragged Flagon. As they approached the all too familiar bar, their gaze fell upon the only current patron as he leaned back on his stool, taking a small swig of his tankard as he did. Arthius quickly lowered himself, ceasing the sound of his footsteps as he silently approached the red haired man whose back was turned to him. As Arthius slowly began to stand up straight, preparing to pounce, the voice of his comrade caught him off guard.

" You've still got plenty of years to go before you can pull one over me, lad", Brynjolf said as he spun himself around on his stool, a small smirk appearing on his face as he caught his guildmaster's surprised glance. As Brynjolf brought the tankard up to his lips for another swig, Arthius quickly turned, kicking one of the legs out from under Brynjolf's stool as he want. Brynjolf made a small choking sound as the ale caught in his throat before toppling over with the stool, making a crash as they both struck the hard ground. As Arthius hopped over the bar to inspect a few of the bottles, Karliah simply walked past Brynjolf who was now wiping the ale from himself as he picked himself up off the floor. She took a seat on the stool beside the spot Brynjolf had been previously sitting as Arthius settled on a bottle of Black Briar and began to empty the bottle's innards into two separate tankards.

" A damn waste of ale if you ask me" Brynjolf said as he now stood, patting himself off before bringing up the empty tankard. Arthius simply passed Karliah her tankard before removing his cowl and taking a deep swig from his own.

" There's plenty more where that came from, whether it's ours or not" Arthius spoke, letting a small sigh escape his mouth before taking another sip.

" Is that anyway for a Jarl to speak?" Karliah spoke simply; her soft voice just as unwavering as ever.

"He's a thief before anything else, may I have to remind you, lass?" Brynjolf said as he leaned against the bar, the smirk returning to his face. "And speaking of which, don't you have something for me?" he said, raising his eyebrows just slightly. Karliah retrieved the parchment from her pouch and handed it over to Brynjolf who gladly accepted it with a nod.

"And speaking of which…" Brynjolf said as he put it away, "wouldn't someone of your stature be busy with something more important than a simple recovery task for a few septims? Especially with what's taken place recently" Brynjolf asked. Arthius sighed, rubbing his face as he did before placing his tankard on the bar top.

" Being important in a room of politics isn't a feat worth reaching towards. Being important is a bit tiresome" Arthius said.

" Be as it may, you're still the thane of Whiterun, aren't you?" Brynjolf asked as he leaned over, taking the untouched tankard from Karliah without any opposition from her.

" As well as the Thane of Falkreath, which if I'm not mistaken supports the Stormcloaks" Karliah simply stated.

" That little brat of a Jarl has no interest in politics" Arthius says, "And as for being the Jarl of Whiterun, I doubt that would mean much to Ulfric at this point". There was a pause after this, the only sounds filling the air was the occasional drip of water and the squeaks of rats in the Ratways.

" You don't know that" Brynjolf spoke, breaking the silence. Arthius continued to look down at his tankard, sloshing the contents around inside before bringing it up to his lips for another sip before placing it back down.

" And what would you suggest? I simply walk up to the gates of Whiterun and request an audience?" Arthius asked, tipping the tankard with the tip of his finger as he leaned forward, giving Brynjolf a skeptical look as he did. Brynjolf leaned back a bit on his stool, his eyes looking towards the ceiling as he thought of a response.

"Why would Ulfric be in Whiterun?" Karliah said before Brynjolf could think of his response.

" The Companion's told me he was there" Arthius simply said to her before looking back to Brynjolf, beginning to continue their conversation.

" I'm not asking if he's there or not" Karliah interjected once more. "I'm questioning why Ulfric would be in Whiterun still"

There was a small pause; Brynjolf sat back in his chair as he began to think about this, and Karliah simply awaited the response.

" Yes...I've thought about that as well" Arthius said.

" Maybe it's a statement. Perhaps he's trying to make a point that he isn't afraid of being on the front lines" Brynjolf spoke.

" I doubt that" Arthius said, " Ulfric just took the trade center of Skyrim, the most bustling city in any of the holds; he has nothing to prove "

" Perhaps you have a bit more to gain if you do indeed pay Ulfric a visit" Karliah said.

" I'd rather not take the risk of being shot down by the guards if it turns out that Ulfric isn't welcoming any visitors" Arthius said, " We still have no idea what's going on in the city since the Companions were forced out"

" Well...if you're not eager to do that, you could always just use the hidden passageway into the Companion's underforge" Brynjolf said. Arthius' eyes darted up to meet Brynjolf's gaze for a moment, watching him for a few moments before Brynjolf brought his tankard up to his lips. Karliah continued to quietly watch them as Arthius broke his gaze. Arthius mulled this over for a moment, considering his options, the route he could take, and what he could realistically come to gain for his risks and efforts before looking back up at his comrade.

" How did you know about that passageway?" Arthius asked.

 _Proudspire Manor, Solitude_

Lydia continued to pack her supplies for the next few days on the road. As she did, Jordis continued her persistence on the housecarl who was growing more and more tiresome of the continuous repetition of their conversation.

"...but what if that maniac does something reckless, or even makes an attempt on my Thane's life!? What kind of housecarl are you to allow someone like that to simply-" Jordis spoke frantically; she was obviously panicked by the thought of the final possibility, before Lydia cut her off.

" Do not speak out of your place, girl! Might I have to remind you that I served him long before you did?" Lydia said with a menacing scowl, taking a breath before easing her expression as well as her tone as she continued placing supplies inside of her pouch, "And as for your concerns, I severely doubt that fool would be able to pull anything over our Thane. He is the Dragonborn, in case you've forgotten". Lydia simply stated.

" Yes but-" Jordis began.

" And as for the other concern, if our Thane believed him to be a meaningful threat, I can assure you he would have dealt with him at the moment of their encounter instead of simply letting him continue on his ways" Lydia said with a bit more sternness in her voice.

" But what if-" Jordis began again.

" Listen!" Lydia raised her voice as she turned to Jordis with an angered glance, " Our Thane shared this information with us in case anything would come of it and he would find that he'd like our assistance without having to catch us up to date. He did this trusting that we would be able to hear his words and keep them in mind for when it comes time to act, and the time to act is when he commands it, not for us to take the information and act upon it as we like! If you intend to break that trust by pursuing this idea of your then feel free, but don't you dare call yourself a housecarl after deceiving the one you swore to serve" Lydia said, letting her gaze remain this time as she stared down the shaken girl before her. After a moment, she sighed, turning away from Jordis as she continued to pack. After she had finished, she set her pouch beside the door for the next morning's trip.

 _Dragonsreach, Whiterun_

Ulfric sat upon the throne in Dragonsreach, letting his head lay on his fist as he listened to the strategies laid out before him. He glanced at the flickering candles for a moment as the light radiating from them covered most of the room in a slight tinge of orange that faded the further from the source it went. He looked as though he were lost in thought for a moment; or at least he could only assume as he realized that the conversation had stopped and he looked to see Galmar as well as one of his captains staring up at him from the map that they had set upon the table in front of him.

" Right, continue" Ulfric said unapologetically. After a moment, the captain; a young, light haired Nord who held his helmet under his right arm, continued his report.

" As I was saying, the advance troops have made it through Helgen with only a small group of bandits to deal with" The captain said as he skimmed his finger across the map.

" And what of Helgen, anything left to sustain our troops for the meantime?" Ulfric asked.

" After a bit of searching, reports say that enough food and drink were found to sustain the party for a few more days if you choose to keep them there" He answered, with a bit of hesitation.

" But why keep the forward party there? Wouldn't it be wiser to have them scout ahead as the main forces come towards the hold?" Galmar said, looking to Ulfric with crossed arms.

Ulfric sat back for a bit, taking in a small breath before slowly rising from the throne and stepping down to the head of the table in front of him, placing his hands down beside the map. The captain glanced up at Galmar who was giving his full attention to Ulfric, awaiting what would come next.

" What lies ahead of our troops at this moment?" Ulfric asked. Both Galmar and the captain leaned in to inspect the map.

" Falkreath" They said simultaneously. Ulfric nodded before putting his finger on top of Falkreath and bringing it around in a circle around the hold.

" And who may I ask, resides in the Hold of Falkreath?" Ulfric said. The captain paused, looking up to Galmar with a curious look.

" The Dragonborn " Galmar said, letting a small sigh release from his nostrils. There was a small pause before the captain spoke up.

" But the Dragonborn hasn't shown any interest in the war. In addition, he's the harbinger of the Companions who were simply removed from the city. I doubt-"

" The Dragonborn is not simply a companion. Reports show he hardly acts on his role of Harbinger aside from an occasional visit " Galmar spoke, almost snapping at the captain.

" And unlike the Companions, the Dragonborn never spoke of not having a side, but instead spoke against the war altogether. In fact, he'd spent the last year doing what he could to lower tensions " Ulfric spoke.

" B-but, even if he were opposed to the war, he's simply one man " The captain said. As Galmar was about to unleash upon the ill-informed Captain, Ulfric raised his hand to stop him. Galmar immediately withdrew, simply sighing as he stood back in place. Ulfric then turned to meet the young Captain's gaze.

" And what about the Dawngaurd? It's no secret that the Dragonborn helped lead an assault on the castle just off the coast of Solitude. And though we may not have much information about the group, we know they're strong in numbers and experience. On top of that, if worse were come to worse, their base stands just southeast of Riften" Ulfric spoke as he turned to the throne, sitting himself.

" Not to mention the rumors that surround the Dragonborn involving every damn faction that could come to mind within the borders of the country" Galmar said with a small gruff of his voice.

" Those are just rumors spread by the locals and the guards who are too bored by their posts" The captain replied, turning towards Galmar.

" Possibly, but all rumors have at least some truth to them " Ulfric spoke as he moved back into his previous position upon the throne.

" However, " Galmar began, "I don't believe we should be too concerned. Reports shows that the Dragonborn hasn't left Haafingar since we first took Whiterun "

" That's true, but considering the situation, I'd rather not surprise the Dragonborn, let alone directly upset him" Ulfric spoke. After a ,moment, Galmar let his head drop as he thought about this.

" I've decided...perhaps it is time to host a discussion" Ulfric spoke. Galmar and the young Captain looked up at him. Ulfric continued to look forward for a few moments, as if to let his words soak in.

" Galmar, have a courier ready, I'm going to write a letter. Captain, have the main forces await further instructions after they've reached Helgen. Make sure to ensure that they do not proceed with any plans until I give the word, understand?" Ulfric said as he stood.

" Y-yes my liege" The captain spoke. Ulfric nodded to him before walking past Galmar and up the stairs toward the Jarl's quarters. Galmar and the captain gave him a nod as he went before they departed on their own assignments, walking out if Dragonsreach, leaving the room silent, but not empty.

After a few more moments, Arthius dropped from above and silently landing in a crouching position. He slowly stood, walking over to the map laid out upon the table. He quickly took out his journal and wrote down everything he could see, including camps, trails, and destinations certain groups were headed towards. After he had done so, he quickly made his way to the back of Dragonsreach and opened the door to The Great Porch, glancing up at the dragon trapping mechanism he remembered using so long ago as he ran to the edge, leaping over the railing as he quickly made his descent. He quickly climbed down a bit before climbing around the cliffside until he reached the cloud district. He leapt over the wall and quickly but silently made his way through the city until he had reached the underforge. Once the wall had closed behind him, he finally allowed himself to sigh, pulling off his Nightingale mask and bending over, placing his hands on his knees. After a moment of rest, he exited through the secret passageway and soon found himself riding through the night atop the skeletal horse. As he rode, there was only one thing occupying his mind.

" _Looks like I might have to head home"_

 **Author's notes: Okay, so those of you (if there are any left) that were regular readers of my story back in the day are probably wondering "What the actual hell, it's been over a year since the last chapter, why now?", and you're right to wonder that. Wel that or you're still on the hype train that some of you appeared to be on one year and two months ago. If so, kudos to you. I honestly don't know what got me back into the spirit of finishing this chapter, I guess I just found a gap in free time now that school's on hold. That and maybe the hype for Skyrim remastered. I'm not gonna promise a regular story progression like my last one where I'd crank out a new chapter every day, then every few days, then every few weeks, then every...actually now that I say it I guess it makes sense this chapter took so long to come out. Anyways, idk if this will continue but considering how much fun I've been having writing it again, it might just.**

 **Be sure to leave a comment...review? I don't remmeber. And if you like the story, gimme a follow/ favorite. Above all else those really help get me in gear. Hopefully I'll see you soon.**

 **~ Azlan**


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